There’s still a lot of controversy about medical marijuana. While a growing number of people are quick to extol its benefits, there remains a large contingent who feel uneasy about the prospect of cannabis – still largely treated as an illegal substance – being recognized for its therapeutic qualities and regulated accordingly.

Enter CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The well-known cable news medical expert has personally championed the medical marijuana cause, and has devoted a considerable amount of airtime to it. One thing that came out of this conversation is this video (also above), which offers a concise primer on what marijuana is, what its effects are, and how its various chemical properties can be used to treat a range of ailments. Are you convinced?

What does it take to be a hero in Canada? In other countries, it might be a remarkable feat of strength that saves hundreds of lives, or a courageous act of defiance against a tyrannical government. Here? All it takes is a skillful explanation of your country’s health care system to a room full of Americans.

So Dr. Danielle Martin became a Canadian hero recently for her testimony before a U.S. Senate sub-committee (see above video), in which she defended our cherished health-care system against the attacks of a Republican senator. The Toronto-based physician, who serves as vice-president of Women’s College Hospital, spoke this week to CBC’s The Current about her experience in Washington – and revisits the Canada-versus-U.S. issue in a debate with an American doctor.

These days, nothing helps to advance a cause better than a well-placed social media campaign. Recently, the organization Cancer Research UK found that a Twitter trend, in which users posted pictures of themselves without makeup with the hashtag #nomakeupselfie, had transformed into an impromptu fundraising campaign for cancer research.

Spotting the trend, the organization grabbed hold of it and encouraged people to donate via text message or their website. The campaign has since spawned a popular Facebook page, “No Make Up Selfie for Cancer Awareness”, as well as a male version of the campaign called #manupandmakeup, which is raising money for prostate cancer research.

A few things we should know: don’t hold back a sneeze. It’s a defensive reflex causing a high-pressure release from your airway, so holding it in can cause problems as serious as hearing loss, forcing air into your eye or brain, rupture or clotting in your blood vessels, or breaking a rib. And also, how do you cover up a sneeze? Don’t use your hands; grab a tissue.